Coal worm drive



Dec. 21, 1937.

H. C..CARTER COAL WORM DRIVE Filed Sept. 17, 1934 /NZ/E/\/7'C7 H.C CARTER Patented Dec. 21,1937

UNITED STATES Haskell 0. Carter, Portland, Oreg.,

Iron Fireman Manufacturing Company,

land, Orcg.

assignor to Port- Application September 17,1934, Serial No. 744,388

6 Claims. This invention relates generally to underfeed stokers, and particularly to a coal worm drive to be used in connection therewith.

The main object of this invention is the provision of an exceedingly simple and efflcient form of drive whereby rotation may be imparted to a coal feeding worm at a point intermediate its opposite ends.

I accomplish this object in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the device showing the drive unit portion broken away in a horizontal section.

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 in 1.

Fig.3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig- 2- Fig. 4 is a section taken al go in Fig. 1.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several view Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a portion of a hopper I 0 from which fuel 35 is to be delivered to the retort ll through the coal tube sections I 2 within which are disposed the sections I3 of the fuel feeding worm. Each ong the line 4-4 section I3 is provided with a squared end it which occupies a square hole IS in the center of the wheel I 6, whose spokes ll are so shaped as to offer the minimum amount of resistance to the passing of fuel between same.

The wheel I6 is provided with a central flange l8 to which is attached a sprocket wheel is, or

other means for imparting motion to the wheel IS. The sprocket wheel I! is driven through a chain 20 from the sprocket pinion 2| on the shaft of the motor 22. Obviously, any other arrangement for driving the wheel l6 could be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The rim of the wheel I 6 journals in the split housings 23, whose outer ends 24 converge toward the inner-diameter of the fuel tube sections I 2.

The flanges 25 on the ends 24 are bolted to the flanges 26 of the sections l2. The housings 23 are provided with the chain inlet and outlet openings 21.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that motion is imparted to the wheel I6 by means of the motor 22 in a direction which will cause it to move from the hopper Ill toward the retort II, it is clear that the worm section l3 which is nearest the hopper l0 has only to convey the fuel from the hopper I0 and dis- 1. A device of the class described, comprising 7 a housing having a bearing formed therein, a wheel having its rim portion occupying said bearing, said housing having portions converging toward each end, worm sections projecting from each end of said housing and drivably connected to said .wheel and means for rotating said wheel. 2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a housing having a bearing formed I therein, a wheel having a flanged rim occupying said bearing, a pair of worms having their adjacent ends squared andoccupyinga square hole within the hub of said wheel, the diameter of the worms being substantially less than the diameter of the interior'of the wheel, said wheel having spokes connecting said rim to the hub and said spokes being streamlined in parallelism with the axes of the worms.

3. A device of the class described, consisting of a housing including a pair of opposed conical sections having their enlarged ends adjacent to each other and flanged for the purpose of uniting the sections, said flanged portions having a recess formed therein for the reception of a sprocket wheeLa sprocket wheel having its teeth within said recess and having its hub in the form of a cylindrical'rim, the ends of which journal within the housing, the interior of said rim being larger than the small outer ends of thehousing, said wheel having a central hub provided withv a square opening along its axi meeting said hub to said rim, worm conveyor sections connected to opposite sides of said housing, each section having a worm therein, the adjacent end of said worms having square shafts adapted to engage said wheel hubs, and a chain drive for said sprocket wheel extending through the sides of said housing. V e

4. In combination, a wormya worm housingv s, spokes for conhaving an enlarged portion, a ring journaled in said housing with its inside surface forming a continuation of the inner wall of the enlarged portion, means on the inside of the ring for cause ing the worm to rotate with the ring, and means on the outside 01' the ring ior rotating the ring;

5. In combination, a screw conveyor comprising a housing, a worm in said housing for causing material to flow through the: housing, a ring gear within the housing, a second worm, means connecting said worms to the ring gear, one of said worms passing through the central plane 01 the wheel thereby having its Junction with the 10 connectirigmeans displaced from said central plane.

projecting'ifrom each end of the housing and means for rotating the wheel.

HASKELL C. CARTER. 

